Across the Universe
by Missus Carlikins
Summary: No matter the time, the place, or the universe, they will find each other. [A collection of AU ficlets.]
1. locked out

**Notes:** I'm sort of doing a collection of AU fics on the fic blog and I figured I'd upload them here. So this is where I'll upload them. Unless stated otherwise none of them are connected.

**Sum:** _Levy is having a truly rotten day_.

The frustrated tears stung at her eyes and she thumped her head against the door. This was the perfect ending to an absolutely _perfect_ day.

First she'd overslept and had to run to work and then it was six hours of customer after customer. Then she realized she'd forgotten her wallet at home and had no cash so she'd been unable to buy any food or take the bus home. So she walked, only to have it start raining halfway home. And of course she had no umbrella.

Now she was locked out of her apartment; hungry, tired, and soaking wet. And she couldn't even call anyone because her phone was dead.

She sighed and slid to the ground, pressing her back against the door and wrapping her arms around her knees. Tears began to roll down her cheeks and she buried her head against her legs.

Today couldn't get any worse.

"Are you alright?"

_Oh no_.

She peeked up, mortification coloring her cheeks when she realized that the voice belonged to none other than Gajeel Redfox. He lived in the apartment across the hall, although he rarely seemed to be home. They shared greetings when they happened to pass in the hall, but she'd never actually had a real conversation with him.

And she had the _biggest_ crush on him.

"Fine. I'm fine." She jumped to her feet, quickly wiping the water from her face. Hopefully he wouldn't notice that some of that water was from tears.

He arched one of his eyebrows, the metal from the rings glinting in the dim hallway lights, and his eyes skimmed along her body.

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Hmm."

He kept staring and she felt her cheeks heat. She didn't want her first real conversation with him to be like _this_. There was no doubt her makeup was running and she was positive she looked like a drowned cat. He probably thought she was pathetic. He'd probably never speak to her again.

"Are you locked out?"

And just like that the tears were back, spilling from her eyes and staining her cheeks. She didn't know what brought them on this time, but she couldn't seem to stop them.

"S-sorry," she hiccupped, covering her face with her hands. "I've just h-had a really bad d-day."

She wasn't sure she could get more pathetic. Stuck outside her own home in soaking clothes with nowhere to go. And her crush got to witness her breakdown.

"Hey, uh … there's no need to cry," Gajeel said, his voice rough. "You can – you can come stay in my place while you wait for the landlord to come with a spare key."

She sniffed and peeked at him from between her fingers. He was looking at the wall, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, and there was a distinct redness to his ears.

A smile tugged at her lips at the sight.

_So cute_.

She swallowed the rest of the tears and wiped at her eyes. "I don't want to impose."

"It's no problem." Then he grinned at her. "Besides, you're building a small lake."

She glanced down, and sure enough there was a small puddle forming at her feet. A blush scorched across her cheeks and Gajeel laughed.

"C'mon."

She followed him across the hall and into his apartment, trying to look around as discretely as possible.

It was the same set up as hers. A kitchenette off to the side, a larger living room with a door to the veranda, a small hallway that probably led to the bathroom/bedroom. Unlike hers, it seemed to be … empty. Levy's was full of bookshelves, with so many books that some were piled on the floor. She had a worn out armchair in the living room and a coffee table that was hidden under more books. Gajeel's had a TV and an uncomfortable looking couch. A card table was set up behind the couch, with a couple of chairs around it and a few papers scattered across it.

She didn't feel like anyone really _lived_ here.

Gajeel had vanished during her examination and she stood next to the door, not sure what to do. Was she supposed to make herself at home? Was she just supposed to wait by the door for the landlord to show up? Which reminded her, she still needed to call him …

"What're you doing?"

She jumped and glanced at Gajeel. He stood in the hallway, a pile of something in his hands and a slight frown on his face.

"I – um – I need to call the landlord still."

"I'll do it," Gajeel said, coming towards her. "You take a shower and get out of those wet clothes." He shoved the pile towards her. "You can change into these. They'll probably be too big, but it's the best I can do."

She took the clothes from him, noticing the redness to his ears again, and smiled. "Thank you."

He grunted and disappeared into the kitchen. Levy didn't move for a moment, just pressed her face against the clothes and breathed a laugh. Then she kicked off her shoes and headed into the bathroom.

She couldn't wait to get out of these clothes.

x

It was amazing how much better things felt after a shower. It might not have changed the fact that she was still locked out of her apartment and hadn't eaten all day, but it got rid of the chill that had started to seep into her skin. Now she stood in front of the mirror and just stared at her reflection.

Her cheeks were flushed from the steam and her eyes were puffy, but she didn't look awful. Although her hair was a disaster, sticking up in all directions even after she dried it.

"Oh well," she muttered. Gajeel had already seen her at her worst. Dropping the towel she slipped the shirt over her head. It fell to just above her knees, appearing more like a small dress than a shirt, and the sight made her laugh.

"He's so _big_."

She was still giggling when she finished getting dressed and stepped out of the bathroom, but the giggles died when she saw Gajeel. He was in the kitchen, his hair tied behind his neck and an apron thrown over his clothes. He seemed to be humming under his breath as he stirred whatever was in the pot, and she almost didn't say anything, not wanting to ruin the moment, but then he looked up and saw her.

And the laughter that followed didn't even make her feel bad.

"You look better, Shorty," he said, still chuckling.

"I'm not short. You're just monstrously big."

He arched a brow and she huffed. "You can just put your clothes by the door," he said, motioning in that direction. She set them next to her shoes and moved to the counter, leaning against it to talk to him.

"What are you making?"

"Soup. Figured you were probably hungry."

"I am, thank you."

"It's just canned soup."

"Still," she said, smiling. "Thank you. For everything you've done."

He held her gaze for a moment before dropping his to the soup, his ears turning red again.

"It's no problem," he mumbled, stirring the soup. She smiled again when something glinted in the corner of her eye.

She turned towards it, seeing the small dragon for the first time. It was made of metal, dark iron, molded together to form the beautiful creature. She'd never seen anything like it before.

"Beautiful," she breathed, reaching out to stroke a finger along the spine. It was small enough to fit in her hand, but she was afraid to touch it more. She glanced over at Gajeel who was grabbing some bowls. "Where did you get this?"

"Made it."

She gasped and looked back at the dragon, her eyes wide.

"_You_ made _that_?"

"You don't hafta sound so shocked."

"No … it's just … That's amazing."

He shrugged and set the bowls on the table. "It's just a hobby."

"_Just_ a hobby? That's like saying that painting was _just a hobby_ for Van Gogh, or Michelangelo." She sat in one of the chairs and Gajeel sat across from her. "You could sell that for big bucks I bet."

He shrugged again and spooned some soup into his mouth. When he just kept eating Levy sighed and grabbed her own spoon.

"Artists," she huffed. "So impossible."

He snorted and she swallowed a bite of soup, her eyes widening at the taste that exploded on her tongue. Maybe it was just because she hadn't eaten all day, but she wasn't sure she'd ever tasted anything so delicious before. And faster than she would've liked her bowl was empty.

"That was amazing."

"You musta been hungry."

She flushed and ducked her head, hoping to hide it from him.

"Did you call the landlord?"

Gajeel collected the dishes and brought them to the kitchen. "Yeah. He said he'd be over in the morning."

"What?"

Morning? But that meant …

"You can sleep here if you need," Gajeel said. "Or you could call a friend and stay with them."

"Lu-chan's out of town," she murmured, her thoughts rolling. Stay the night with Gajeel. She'd never, in a million years, expected this to happen. "Will it really be alright if I stay here? I can take the couch."

"Don't even think of it," Gajeel said, coming out of the kitchen. "You can sleep on the bed."

"But that couch isn't big enough for you!"

"I'll manage."

She huffed and glared at him and he stared back, his gaze unwavering. Clearly this was a battle she couldn't win.

"Fine. I'll sleep on your bed if it'll make you happy."

"Good."

"But you have to let me do the dishes."

"Why?"

"Because, I'll feel guilty and be unable to sleep if I don't do _something_."

Gajeel stared at her for a moment longer before shrugging.

"Fine. The dishwashers' broken so you've gotta do them by hand." He moved towards the hallway. "I'm takin' a shower." Then he disappeared and she sighed, moving to the sink to get started on the dishes.

She was surprised by Gajeel. When she first met him she'd be a bit frightened by the piercings and the tattoos and that scowl, but then she'd seen him with the apartment kids and the stray cat that lived out in the alley. She'd seen the softness in his eyes and the smile that he hid from others. That had been when the crush started, and it only grew the more she saw him.

And now she was learning even more about him. Like the fact that he made beautiful sculptures out of metal and called it a hobby. Or that he was an amazing cook, because there was no way that soup was from a can, and how he was willing to help a neighbor who was having a bad day. He was a true gentleman.

She sighed and glanced towards the bathroom.

It was official.

She was in love.

"Stupid," she muttered, scrubbing the pan harder than necessary.

After today she'd be lucky if Gajeel ever saw her as anything but his pathetic neighbor.

She hadn't noticed the shower shut off, but she _did_ notice when Gajeel came out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. Her throat went dry and her eyes bugged and she knew she shouldn't stare but it wasn't like she could just look away from _that_.

She may have imagined him shirtless before, not that she would ever admit to that, but seeing it was completely different. Six pack abs, dark trail of hair that disappeared below the waistband of his pants, and the tattoo. A dragon crawled up his arm, the tail wrapped around his wrist and the head curving to rest in front of his shoulder.

"Oh," she squeaked.

He glanced at her and she tried to force her eyes away from his chest, tried to look anywhere else, but she couldn't. He chuckled and pulled a shirt over his head, blocking the perfection and giving her a chance to look away. A blush stained her cheeks and she focused on the dishes left in the sink.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god._

He chuckled again, but didn't comment on her staring and for that she was grateful. She wasn't sure she could feel any more mortified.

"What kind of movies do you like?" he asked, pausing next to a DVD rack. She was a bit surprised by the topic, but she answered anyways.

"Horror."

"Hmm."

"What?" She put the last of the dishes on the drying rack and wiped off her hands, coming into the living room. "Am I not allowed to like horror movies?"

"Just surprising." He looked over his shoulder at her, a grin tugging at his face. "You don't strike me as a horror girl." He turned back to the movies and she lowered herself to the couch, staring at his back. "Bloody or scary?"

"Either."

He grabbed a movie and put it in the DVD player, coming to sit next to her on the couch. She curled her feet under her, trying to take up as little space as possible. It really was a small couch, barely big enough for both of them to sit on it without touching. She had no idea how he planned to sleep on it.

The movie started and she barked a laugh.

"Friday the 13th? Really?"

"The original."

They watched the movie in silence for a while, laughing when they were supposed to be scared, and at some point Levy found herself spreading out on the couch until her feet brushed against Gajeel's leg. About halfway through the movie she turned to face him, staring until he glanced at her.

"What?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

She shrugged and leaned against the back of the couch. "For helping me. Today just sort of sucked." She peered up at him, smiling softly. "But you made it a bit better."

She turned back to the TV, but movement made her glance back at Gajeel. He'd shifted closer, one of his hands on the back of the couch, the other next to her hip. Her eyes went wide and her lips parted in a small gasp, and Gajeel swallowed that gasp with his mouth.

It wasn't a deep kiss, barely more than a brushing of lips really, but it was enough. Levy felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest and she stared at him as he pulled back.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his voice rougher than it had been. "I've been wanting to do that all night."

"I –" She was speechless. How did she tell him she'd been wanting him to do it for the past year?

"I understand if you want to call a friend."

"No!" He blinked in surprise and she lowered her voice, trying to sound calm. "No, I mean. It's not. You're not." She sighed and dropped her head, her cheeks flaming. "I liked it."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

He breathed a laugh and she shifted a bit closer to him, so close that if she wanted she could rest her head on his shoulder.

A comforting silence fell over them and they continued watching the movie, although Levy wasn't paying attention anymore. She wondered what the kiss meant. If it meant anything at all. Maybe he'd just wanted to kiss her, or maybe he wanted more than just a kiss. She glanced at him, but all his attention was focused on the screen.

"Hey Gajeel," she murmured and his eyes flicked down to hers. "Can I take that kiss to mean you like me?"

A slow smile curved his mouth and his arm wrapped around her, tugging her closer to his side. His mouth brushed across her forehead and she felt his cheek rest on the top of his hand.

"If that's what you want."

She smiled, snuggling closer against his side.

"It is."

He squeezed her once and she glanced back at the movie, her heart swelling in chest.

Maybe today wasn't such a bad day after all.

* * *

**_end._**


	2. coffee

**Sum:** _Every day he'd sit at her table as he waited for his name to be called._

Gajeel's left eye twitched in irritation and he breathed deeply through his nose in an attempt to calm himself. He'd never been a very patient person, and having to stand in line for 20 minutes for one fucking cup of coffee was a little too much for him, especially since he hadn't actually had any coffee yet.

And Gajeel was _not_ a morning person.

His fingers tapped against his thigh and _finally_ it was his turn to place his order. The poor boy behind the register looked like he was about to wet himself and Gajeel knew he shouldn't take his anger out on the workers, so he tried to soften his scowl

"Grande drip coffee," he snapped, handing over the appropriate amount of money.

"N-name please?"

"Gajeel."

"It'll be right up."

Gajeel grunted and dropped a couple of dollars into the tip jar, stepping out of the line to wait for his drink. Of course there were still at least ten other people waiting for drinks too, so he knew his would be awhile.

He sighed and glanced around the small shop for a place to sit. Practically all the chairs were full of friends chatting with each other, or students on their laptops. He supposed that was what he got for choosing the place closest to campus, but it was also closest to his home and he hadn't wanted to walk far.

He was about to give up on a chair when he noticed one hidden in the corner. Cutting through the crowd he quickly made his way to it, glaring at the boy that almost grabbed it before he could. The boy backed off and Gajeel grinned, pausing at the table.

It was occupied - of course - and the girl that was sitting there didn't even seem to notice him. Her nose was buried in a book, blue hair slipping in front of her face and a pair of glasses perched on her nose. He thought about just sitting down, but it was possible she was with a friend who went to get a drink or something, and Gajeel might be a bastard, but he wasn't that mean.

"Excuse me," he rumbled. "Is this seat taken?"

She waved her hand, not even glancing up from her book. "Go ahead."

"Thanks."

He sat and glanced towards the counter. There were still quite a crowd around it and he wondered just how long it would take them to make a single drip coffee.

_Patience._

His eyes flicked towards his tablemate and he wondered how she could focus on her book with all the noise around them. The constant chatter would've made it impossible for him to do anything without a pair of noise canceling headphones at least, but she didn't even seem to a bit bothered.

He thought about starting up a conversation. He was bored and he knew it would still be a couple of minutes before he could get his coffee and get out of there, but he had a feeling she would just ignore him if he tried. So instead he just sat in silence and listened for his name, but he was unable to keep from looking at her.

She was a cutie, there was no other way to explain it. She reminded him of a pixie, her wide brown eyes hiding something mischievous as they skimmed the page. He could tell she was short, even sitting down he towered over her, and he wondered if she'd even reach his shoulder if they stood.

And then he heard his name and he practically shoved himself to his feet, stalking across the shop to grab the cup and muttering a quick thanks under his breath. With coffee in hand he strode from the store, glancing over at the blue head on his way out.

She still hadn't looked up from her book.

x

For the second day in a row he had to wait in an unbearably long line for a cup of coffee, and for the second day in a row he contemplated murder.

_You can't afford to go back to jail._

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. A headache was brewing just behind his eye and it wasn't even noon yet.

_I've got to get a new coffeemaker as soon as possible._

He shuffled forward as the line moved, glad when it was finally his turn. It was a different kid today, and she seemed unaffected by his scowl and his piercings, giving him a smile that reeked of falseness.

"What can I get for you sir?"

"Grande drip coffee," he growled.

Her smile didn't waver as he handed over the money and once again he dropped a few dollars in the tip jar, stepping out of line to wait for his drink. It was just as crowded as yesterday, and he found himself scanning the crowd for a place to sit. His eyes landing on a somewhat familiar head of blue hair.

She had a different book today, and her hair was pulled back into a small ponytail. The chair across from her was still empty, and he had to wonder why no one else had snatched up the chance to sit by her.

He quickly went over there, pausing next to the chair.

"Taken?" he asked.

Once again she didn't even glance up. "Nope."

He sat again, and again they didn't speak, but again he stared. He couldn't seem to help it. There was just something about her that made him want to see every expression that face could make.

Today her lips were turned down in a small frown, her brow furrowed as she concentrated on her book. He wondered what she was focusing so hard on …

Then his name was called, and again he left without saying a word.

x

It became routine.

Every day for a week he'd go to the coffee shop a few blocks away. Every day he'd order the same drink. Every day he'd sit at her table as he waited for his name to be called.

She never had the same book twice, and he wondered how she managed to get through them so fast. Some of them looked to be at least 600 pages long, but that never seemed to slow her. He had to wonder if she ever did anything but sit there or read.

It wasn't until Sunday that something changed.

He got to the store, prepared to stand in line, only to find there was no line. The woman behind the register smiled when she saw him and called him by name, already moving to get his drink made. Apparently he'd become a regular.

With drink in hand he turned away from the counter and glanced around the room. He knew he should just leave, he had no reason to stay, and even if he did stay there was no reason for him to sit next to her. But he couldn't stop himself from searching out the now familiar head of blue hair, nor could he stop himself from moving to her table.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, like he asked every day.

"Go ahead," she said, her eyes locked on her book.

He grinned and dropped into the chair, sipping his coffee.

"I was wondering if you'd sit today," she said, still not looking at him. He quirked a brow and leaned his arms on the table, noticing that her hair was loose again, kept out of her face by a polka-dot headband.

_Cute._

"Why wouldn't I?"

Her eyes flicked around the room for a moment, before returning to her book. But again, she didn't look at him.

"It's not exactly crowded. You could have your share of any chair."

"Maybe I wanted this one."

He didn't miss the slight flush that colored her cheeks and he grinned.

And then he couldn't stop himself.

"Levy."

Her name rolled off his tongue. Ever since he'd read it off her cup a few days ago it had been repeating through his mind. He wanted to know Levy. He wanted to see if she really did just read, or if she had other hobbies. He wanted to know everything he could.

And finally she looked up.

Her brown eyes wide and her mouth parted in a small 'o' of surprise, and he grinned back. Then a slow smile pulled her lips and she put her book on the table.

"Gajeel."

And his name had never sounded so beautiful before.

"You finally looked up."

* * *

**_end._**


	3. flour

**Sum:** _There was no way she could mess it up_.

The bakery was hidden between a baby store and a consignment store. There was barely more to it than a door and a small window, and the only hint at what was behind the door was a small cupcake painted on the window under the name _Metalicana's Cakes_.

She hovered outside and glanced down at the paper crumpled in her hands. When she'd been complaining about the need for a new job Natsu had told her about this place and quickly scrawled out a map, but now standing in front of it …

"Are ya coming in or not?"

She jumped and glanced towards the door where a man stood. A scowl pulled down his lips and his eyes – she didn't know eyes _could_ be red like that – glinted dangerously. Metal covered his face and she could see a tattoo peeking out from under his shirt collar.

_Scary_.

"I – uh –" she stuttered, quickly dropping her gaze. The paper crinkled as she crushed it and she swallowed thickly. _What was Natsu thinking sending her to _him_?_

"You're Levy, right?"

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped in a small gasp of surprise.

"How do you …"

"Natsu called. Said he'd sent you my way. Now c'mon, I ain't got all day." Then he turned and disappeared into the bakery and for some reason Levy found herself following.

Although once she stepped foot inside she had to pause to take it all in. It was quaint, a bit small, but definitely homely. The walls were decorated with paintings of landscapes and there were small metal sculptures dotted across the shelves. The one next to the register interested her the most and she carefully picked it up. _A dragon_. The wings were unfurled and it had risen to its back legs, the mouth open in a roar, or maybe it was preparing to breathe fire.

It was beautiful.

"Hurry up," the man snapped from behind the desk and Levy started, gentling placing the metal dragon back in its place and scurrying to the back.

He stood in a kitchen. He'd pulled his hair back into a ponytail, wrapping a bandana around his head, and there was a black apron thrown over his clothes. Something hit Levy in the face and she squeaked, barely catching it before it hit the ground.

"Put that on."

She quickly threw the apron on and tied her hair back, matching him.

"You're Gajeel … right?"

"Who else would I be?"

She bit her lip and once again wondered what Natsu had been thinking. Gajeel didn't exactly seem to be an ideal boss, and although Levy was desperate for a job … she wasn't sure she was _that_ desperate.

"Bake a cake."

She blinked, the command drawing her from her thoughts.

"What?"

"If ya want to work in a bakery, then ya need to know how to bake." Gajeel stared at her, one of his metal ringed eyebrows quirking. "You do know how to bake, don't ya?"

"Of course I know how to bake," she snapped, indignation replacing the fear. He was making fun of her, it was obvious in the way his lips curled in that smirk. He didn't think she had what it took to work for him. Well she'd show him.

She stepped into the kitchen and got to work collecting ingredients. She'd never actually baked before, but how hard could it be. All it really was was mixing together the right ingredients. She'd read plenty of books about it. There was no way she could mess it up.

Or so she thought …

Twenty minutes later the kitchen was absolutely _covered_ in flour, making it look like a blizzard had blown through, but she had a cake … sort of. She wasn't actually sure the lump could be called a cake. Were cakes supposed to be hard like that?

"I – uh …"

"Give it here."

She blinked and looked at Gajeel. "Why?"

"Taste test."

She glanced back at the cake and shook her head. "You're going to eat _that_?"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed a fork, somehow managing to get a piece of the cake to break away. She winced when he put it in his mouth and began chewing, surprised that his teeth didn't shatter.

"Hmm, not awful for a first try."

"I'm sorry."

He snorted and tossed the fork in the sink. "Don't be. The first time I made a cake I burnt it to a crisp, and my old man _still_ made me eat it."

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "That's awful."

"It was. I couldn't even look at another cake for _weeks_."

"And now you run a bakery."

He rolled his eyes and she smiled softly. He wasn't as scary as he first appeared.

The sound of a bell rang through the small room and he glanced towards the front.

"I'll be back."

He disappeared through the door and Levy followed, peeking out to watch.

"Gajeel!" The customer was a young girl, probably no older than six, and she had a large grin on her face at the sight of Gajeel.

"Hey there, Asuka. Which cake do you want today?"

She pointed at something in the case and Levy smiled softly as she watched Gajeel box it up and slide it across the counter, accepting the bill that Asuka gave him.

"Remember to brush your teeth after eating," he said, as she headed towards the door. Then she was gone and the smile that pulled at Gajeel's lips was all gentleness and love. And Levy knew then that this was where she wanted to work no matter what.

"Hey Gajeel," she called, smiling when he turned to face her. "Will you teach me how to bake a cake?"

* * *

**_end._**


	4. innocence

**Sum:** _She didn't look old enough to be a lawyer._

Gajeel glared at the mirror, knowing that Rogue was standing on the other side. Mocking him.

Fuckin' hell.

It was all Salamander's fault that he was in here, handcuffed to a table. The minute he heard the sirens he'd made a dash for it, leaving Gajeel to deal with the mess. And they hadn't even done anything illegal … this time. But apparently just being on the scene of a crime, even if it was one he hadn't committed, made him guilty.

If only that damn detective didn't have it out for him.

The door swung open and said detective walked in. Rogue Cheney. A giant pain in Gajeel's ass.

"Ryos," Gajeel growled, using the name Rogue had gone by back when they'd been in the same gang. It had been years ago, but Rogue stiffened at the reminder of his past.

"Gajeel. Your attorney arrived."

Gajeel arched a brow and sat back in the chair. He knew for a fact he hadn't called anyone, which meant Natsu had run back to Master. Good, that meant he'd be out of here in no time.

But the girl that stepped into the room _couldn't_ be his attorney. She didn't look old enough to be out of high school, what with her too wide eyes and blue hair. Were lawyers even allowed to have blue hair?

She barely even glanced in his direction as she entered, instead all of her attention was on Rogue. She smiled, all sweetness and innocence, and Gajeel almost snorted.

"Detective Cheney," she murmured. "It's a pleasure to see you again, although I do wish the circumstances were different."

"Ms. McGarden." Rogue smiled, but the smile was gone when he glanced in Gajeel's direction. "I'm sorry you got stuck with _him_."

She laughed, the sound light and airy, and Gajeel scowled at the both of them. If he really wanted to he could be out of those handcuffs and the room before they could stop him.

"Would it be alright if you gave me a moment alone with my client?"

"Of course." Rogue moved to the door, pausing to shoot a glare in Gajeel's direction. "Don't try anything."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Gajeel murmured, watching as Rogue left, the door clicking shut behind him. Once he was gone the girl turned to face him, her hands on her hips and a small frown tugging at her lips.

"Gajeel Redfox. 26 years old. Arrested for trying to steal a car."

"As I told the damn detective, it wasn't me," he huffed, scowling at her. "We'd been walking by when we saw some guy trying to break in and scared him off, but by then the alarm was already going off and someone had called the cops. I didn't do anything."

She sat in the chair across from him, resting her elbows on the table. "I know."

Gajeel was surprised by her answer. Most people saw his scowl and his piercings and assumed that he was a mass murdering drug dealer, but she seemed to have complete faith that he was innocent.

_Interesting._

"You seem to know an awful lot about me, but I don't even know your name."

She laughed again and leaned back in her chair, resting her hands in her lap. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Levy McGarden."

She grinned and it made her look so innocent and young that Gajeel snorted. "Aren't ya a bit young to be a lawyer?"

"Aren't _you_ a bit young to have such an impressive record?"

He curled his lip, but her smile didn't even waver.

"Mr. Redfox, you might not have committed _this_ crime, but they have enough against you to make you pay for it. My job is to make sure you walk away clean, and let me assure you –" She leaned forward, her hands gripping the edge of the table and her smile falling away. "I'm good at my job."

He stared at her and she stared back, her gaze unwavering until finally he leaned back, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Well then, I leave my fate in your hands. Hope you don't disappoint me."

And she grinned back with a fierceness in her eyes that made his heart stutter and his smirk grow.

"I won't."


	5. distraction

_**Sum:**__ It was just a kiss._

Levy's eyes darted down the street as she looked for the mark.

"He's hard to miss," Jet's voice said in her ear, and she dipped her head as she continued gazing at the crowd. Every morning he came down this street to get to his favorite coffee shop, and it was where she'd make her move. It was a perfect place really. The sidewalk was crowded with people, you couldn't take a step without being jostled from some side. He would never even notice her.

She swept the crowd for a third time, her shoulders drooping with a sigh.

"He's late," she murmured, keeping her voice low.

"Maybe he decided to skip the coffee today," Droy said.

She was about to agree when something caught her eye, a flash of silver. She rose on her tiptoes, a grin pulling at her lips.

"He's here. I'm going in."

"Be careful," Jet warned.

"Always am."

Then she ducked her head and started shuffled through the crowd, keeping her eyes on the mark. He was tall, towering over most of the people around him, and the rings that circled his eyebrow flashed in the sunlight. He'd pulled his hair back in a ponytail today, but some of the strands still hung around his face and she had the sudden urge to brush them behind his ear.

She shook her head, getting rid of the thought. She couldn't allow distractions.

Adrenaline pulsed through her and she licked her lips as she got closer. All she had to do was grab the wallet and then she'd be in the clear. Jet and Droy were waiting in the van just around the corner. She could do it.

She took a deep breath, her eyes flashing to his face, and for a moment she felt the world freeze. He was looking right at her and she blinked. His eyes weren't brown like she'd thought, but a dark crimson. It felt like hours passed with them staring at each other, but she knew it had only been a heartbeat, and then his eyes were leaving her and continuing around the crowd.

She held her breath and closed the distance.

_Now or never._

Someone bumped into her and her shoulder hit his arm, at the same time her hand slid into his pocket and closed around his wallet. She used her free hand to pat his arm and breathe an apology, only letting her eyes meet his for a moment.

With a smile she kept walking, or at least tried to, but a hand closed around her wrist and she froze, her heart leaping up her throat.

_We've been caught_.

Her fingers curled tighter around the wallet and she turned slowly to face him. He was watching her, his eyes hard and his smirk predatory. She felt something in her shudder and she wondered if he could hear her heart from where he was standing.

"Now sweetheart," he rumbled, his voice low and deep and full of dangerous promise. "I'm going to give you five seconds to give me my wallet back to me, otherwise I can't promise what will happen to you."

"Shit, Levy!" Jet snarled. "Just give him the wallet and run. We're on our way."

She shook her head. She wasn't going to fail this job. She _couldn't._

"No," she said, to Jet and to the mark.

"No?" He arched his eyebrow, the rings glittering and she dipped her head with a smile.

"No."

He chuckled and she grinned.

"Time's up," he rumbled, moving closer.

She felt bodies brush against her back as people pushed past her on their way to work. A few people muttered curses, but she didn't take her attention off the mark. She didn't think he would resort to violence, but she wasn't going to hang around to find out.

Before he could do anything she stepped closer until her chest was flush against his. He was watching her, his eyes full of curiosity and caution, and she grinned, reaching up to grip the back of his neck and tug his mouth down to hers.

The kiss clearly took him by surprise. His body tenses and his hands closed around her hips, maybe to push her away, but she couldn't have that. She massaged his scalp, going up on her toes so she could press herself closer to him, and with a groan he melted against her. The hands on her hips tightened and one slid up her back to tangle in her hair and she couldn't stop the moan that crawled up her throat.

She let herself melt into the kiss for a moment, let her arms hang loose around his neck as he kissed her until she could barely breathe.

And then she yanked herself back and out of reach, her breathing heavy and her heart racing. He stared at her, his eyes clouded with lust, and she slid back a step.

"Thanks," she murmured, smirking.

"For what?"

"The kiss." Then she took another step back. "And the wallet."

His eyes cleared and narrowed in a glare and he took a step towards her, but she just wiggled her fingers and melted into the crowd, letting it push her around the corner and out of sight.

Then she climbed into the van and grinned at Jet.

"Did you get it?"

He held up the wallet and she laughed.

"Nice job distracting him with the kiss," Droy said, and he only sounded a little bit annoyed. "He probably completely forgot about the wallet."

She just smiled and took the wallet from Jet, flipping it open so she could take out the ID card.

"Detective Gajeel Redfox," she murmured, tapping the card against her lip. "He's an interesting one."

Jet rolled his eyes, climbing into the front as Droy started up the van.

"He's going to have it out for you now," he warned.

Levy just grinned and glanced out of the back window just in time to see a very frustrated Gajeel round the corner, and for a moment she felt his eyes on her, but then the van was peeling into the street and she breathed a chuckle, turning to face her boys.

"Good."


End file.
